Column
from the president
Sister Peg Albert , OP , PhD President
Come and See ( And Experience ) Siena Heights !
Faith and belief . As an Adrian Dominican Sister , that was what I arrived with when I stepped on campus for the first time as President of Siena Heights University a decade ago . My faith in God . My belief in the goodness of people and in the Siena Heights mission .
What else did I really need ?
Well , as you might imagine , it wasn ’ t as easy as just praying and waiting for good things to happen . Our faith demands action , demands hard work , demands a commitment to doing what is right , then believing that God will work through you and others to accomplish your goals — and , of course , God ’ s .
The last 10 years at Siena Heights have been an incredible journey . The story a few pages over in this issue documents much of that journey , and all of the wonderful and amazing things that have happened during that time . However , allow me to use this column to offer some of my personal reflections :
• As President , sometimes I would lay awake at night , asking if we had bit off more than we could chew on some of these projects . I would wonder sometimes if we were going to be able to sustain it . However , I never doubted the direction . I know it ’ s a good direction . I believed it was going to happen . A little bit of anxiety is good . It helps us move on and do good things .
• You have to stick with what you believe in , to keep the course . And you have to stick to your mission . You don ’ t give up who you are and you don ’ t lose the sense of where you want to go and who you want to be . That ’ s why we are / were able to maintain the focus here at Siena Heights .
• People believe in our mission , and people believe in our students . We just tell the story . Some of our students have situations where they really have to struggle to get through school . They don ’ t have the kind of family who would be very supportive if you were going through hard times . We become their family in a lot of ways . I ’ ve had students in this office , just encouraging them . You can never give up hope and , thank God , many have succeeded .
• When we build something , everybody has done their best to give . The board has really stepped up with their giving , too . It all comes down to faith and belief . If you believe , it can happen . And we try to find the people who believe in us and who are willing to share the mission with us . I hope you are one of those people .
• For those who haven ’ t experienced Siena Heights in the past 10 years , you would be amazed . Come back and see ! You will see new buildings on campus , a larger student body , new academic programs , many more activities , but , most importantly , you will see that the Mission is the same . It has been the continuity of Mission that has allowed us to grow and deepen as a community of believers in this wonderful University . Come and see ; you deserve to have that experience . Cherish the education you have had , because so few in our world have the opportunity to pursue a higher education degree . We have been blessed , and it is always my hope that we now , in turn , will be a blessing to others .
Thank you for allowing me to serve as your President these past 10 years , and I look forward to a future filled with hope and promise .
2 | Reflections Summer ’ 16